The eyes have it: 4 things your eyes may communicate without you knowing it

By Brandpoint

Published May 26, 2017

Your eyes: you stare with them, wink with them and roll them. You use your eyes to communicate your thoughts and feelings every single day. Whether you're aware of it or not, your eyes can speak volumes about who you are and what you feel. But could your eyes be sending the wrong message?

New findings from Allergan's "A Look at Eye Language" online survey of 1,019 adult Americans reveal that approximately half of respondents (53 percent) say the first facial feature they notice about another person is their eyes. Patti Wood, a body language expert with over 25 years of experience in the field of human behavior, says our eyes can convey all sorts of messages - both intentionally and unintentionally. "Eye language is the messages we send to others with our eyes," Wood says. "These eye behaviors include rubbing the eyes, extended eye contact, averted gaze or eye shifts. Our eye language can say a lot about us, revealing our emotions, confidence level and, at times, even if we're telling the truth."

Eye contact: Too much of a good thing. You're taught early on to look at someone when they're talking to you; it's a sign of respect and shows you're listening. In fact, the survey, conducted in conjunction with Kelton Global, revealed that for those who see the value in maintaining eye contact, holding a direct gaze makes them feel respected (53 percent) and understood (45 percent). However, Wood says if your gaze becomes a continuous, unrelenting stare throughout an entire conversation, it may signal to the other person that you're trying to assert your dominance. This can be problematic in many situations, particularly in the workplace, so make sure you're being attentive but not overly aggressive with your eye contact.

Certain conditions can alter your eye contact. Sometimes, you send messages with your eyes without realizing it. For example, Chronic Dry Eye disease symptoms, like red, itching, burning or watering eyes, can send the wrong message - one you don't intend. It's important to understand the messages your eye language might be sending to others. Talk to your doctor or visit Eyepowerment.com to learn more about the symptoms and treatment options for Chronic Dry Eye.

Liars look away? Not always. You've heard the old saying that a person who looks away is lying. But in many cases, that isn't true. Research shows the eye contact you make while lying is partially determined by your personality. Wood says that introverts tend to have more trouble maintaining eye contact while lying, whereas extroverts may go over the top and increase eye contact while lying more so than they would otherwise. Additionally, Wood shares that an action like rubbing your eyes can convey a lack of interest, fatigue, disagreement or disbelief in the speaker - or even deceit.

The amount of eye contact you display can show how you feel about things. Research shows that eye contact can demonstrate attraction or attentiveness. You actually make more eye contact with people and things you like and less eye contact with people or things you don't like. Wood notes that our eye language makes us look at things that are new or interesting, especially faces, or look away from things that we find distasteful. So if you're curious about how a certain person feels about you, pay attention to how much they look at you.

When it comes to nonverbal communication, your eyes are one of the most expressive parts of your body, even if don't realize it. In fact, Wood says that research shows we can read not only the six basic emotions - sadness, disgust, anger, joy, fear and surprise - but also over 50 different mental states such as curiosity, interest, dislike or boredom, in another person's eyes.

That's why it's important to pay attention to your eye language. Certain conditions, such as Chronic Dry Eye disease, have symptoms that may be sending the wrong message - one you don't intend. To learn more about Chronic Dry Eye symptoms and treatment options, talk to your doctor and visit Eyepowerment.com.

Survey Methodology:

"A Look at Eye Language" survey was conducted between April 20 and April 25, 2017 among 1,019 nationally representative Americans ages 18 and over, using an e-mail invitation and an online survey. Quotas are set to ensure a reliable representation of the U.S. population 18 and over. In this survey, Millennials were defined as those ages 18-36.

Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. In this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percent, from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all personas in the universe represented by the sample. The margin of error for any subgroups will be slightly higher.

About Kelton

Kelton Global is a leading global insights firm serving as a partner to more than 100 of the Fortune 500 and thousands of smaller companies and organizations. For more information about Kelton Global please call 1.888.8.KELTON or visit http://keltonglobal.com.